2018
BUSM1278- Project
Management Practice
Assignment-2
Individual Assignment –Case Study
Management Report
Project Management Consultant
Hasan Ashraf
Student ID: s3676607
Date: 09/09/2018
Word Count 3150
“I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and
expectations of the Assessment Declaration “
pg. 1
Table of Contents
1. ANSWER TO QUESTION-1: ............................................................................................ 3
1.1.1 Purpose of Project Charter ............................................................................................ 3
1.1.2 Developing a Project Charter (When and How) ........................................................... 3
1.1.3 Role of Project Charter in Assisting the Management of Concerned Project ............... 4
1.2.1 High-Level Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ........................................................... 5
1.2.2 Significance of WBS in Managing a Project ................................................................ 6
1.2.3 High- Level Project Scope Statement based on wbs ..................................................... 6
1.2.4 Importance of Scope Statement..................................................................................... 7
2. ANSWER TO QUESTION-2: ............................................................................................ 8
2.1.1 Role of Project Manager ............................................................................................... 8
2.1.2 Contribution of project manager in Successful Project Outcome ................................. 9
2.1.3 Role of Knowledge Areas and Their Contribution in Successful Project Outcome ..... 9
2.2.1 Authority of Project Manager ..................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Project Manager’s Relationship with Key Stakeholders ............................................. 10
2.2.3 Pros and Cons of using Stakeholder Management Plan .............................................. 11
2.2.4 Relationship of Stakeholder Management Plan with Communication Management
Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 11
pg. 2
1. ANSWER TO QUESTION-1:
1.1.1 PURPOSE OF PROJECT CHARTER
Project Charter is a documentary that formally authorizes the presence of project and delivers
authority to the project manager to use organizational assets in the project activities. It directly
links project with the strategic objectives of the organization. It creates a formal record of the
project and prepares an organizational commitment of the project. It is performed at planning
the integration management stage of the project. Usually the projects which are external, it
helps establish a partnership between requesting and performing organization. In such case, it
works as a formal contract to establish the agreement. It can also work for establishing internal
agreements. In collaboration of Sponsors and Project Manager initially assigned, it comes into
formulation. It then provides authority to the Project Manager to plan, execute, monitor and
control the Project. Projects are initiated to benefit such project governing bodies as Project
Sponsor, Project Management Office (PMO), the Portfolio governing body and the like,
through accomplishing business needs. These needs influence the need of analysis, developing
business case, feasibility study and what not that can address the project which Project Charter
addresses. Project Chartering aligns a strategy with ongoing work of the organization.
1.1.2 DEVELOPING A PROJECT CHARTER (WHEN AND HOW)
Project Charter is developed at Project Initiation Stage when information available regarding
Project is close to nothing and Project requires a formal start to keep transition smooth through
the Project phases.
Developing a project charter contains three elements, i.e. input, tools and techniques and
output. In establishing input, the business documents including Business Case Documents that
provides necessary information needed from business standpoint to assess whether the
expected project outcome justifies required investment becomes a part of charter developing
input documents. Business Case typically contains cost benefit analysis to justify project needs.
Charter incorporates important information of business documents for project. Additionally,
agreements used to define initial project intentions that comprise of memorandums of
understanding, service level agreements, letter of agreements, letter of intent and the like also
work as input documents. Enterprise Environmental factors including standards, regulatory
requirements, organizational culture, organizational governance framework, stakeholder
pg. 3
expectations, and organizational process assets comprising of organizational standards,
monitoring and reporting methods, templates or historical records also help in developing
Project Charter.
Tools and techniques necessary to develop Project Charter are Expert Judgement for
organizational strategy, risk identification, project schedule and budget estimation, benefit
management and the like. In addition to this, Data Gathering technique that comprises of
brainstorming, focus groups and interviews are necessary tools as well. Moreover,
interpersonal and team skills comprising of conflict management, facilitation and meeting
management also help in developing a Project charter. Meetings with key stakeholders help to
identify project objectives, milestones, project requirements and the like.
As a result of this, a high-level information-oriented Project charter takes birth that comprises
of information regarding Project purpose, Project objectives, Project Risks, Project boundaries,
Milestones, Financial Resources, Project approval requirements, assigned authorities and the
like.
1.1.3 ROLE OF PROJECT CHARTER IN ASSISTING THE MANAGEMENT OF
CONCERNED PROJECT
The absence of a strong Project Charter developed various untouched short comings in the
concerned Project. To exemplify this, the authority of Project Manager to direct the project
team was not formally documented for the case study project. The project was not linked with
the strategic objectives of the organization. This absence even kept them following informal
record keeping and a very small organizational commitment for this project. The means of
effective coordination and means of communication between various departments were absent
as a formal contract defining roles and responsibilities was never established. Additionally, in
reality Project tasks were voluntarily picked by whoever wished to participate. The authority
of Project manager to effectively plan, execute, monitor and control the project was not there,
but it was rather casual. A presence of Project Charter could have answered every deficiency
discussed above. It could have addressed business needs for carrying out the Project after a
detailed feasibility study analysis that is necessarily carried out at developing the Project
Charter stage. There was a need of a clear definition of Project’s purpose, its objectives, its
limitations, its boundaries, its deliverables, risks associated to it, resources available, financial
pg. 4
analysis, its strategic delivery and responsibilities assigned to the team members to establish a
smooth functioning of Project during execution which was unfortunately not present.
1.2.1 HIGH-LEVEL WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)
Replacing Remedy with
Request Tracker Project
Project Manager
SFSU's Computer and
Network Services
Department
Information Systems
Department
Instruction and Research
Services Department
User Support Services
Department
Technology Manager
Director
Director
Director
Director
Investigating Options
Managers
Programmers
Managers
Manager
Implementing New
System
Managing New System
Investigating for Options
Team
Capabile Team
Record Keeping and
Sharing
Replacing Remedy
System Patching,
Updating etc.
Record Keeping and
Sharing
Providing Support and
training to Staff and
Students about new
System where necessary
Project Management
Team
Managing Project Life
Cycle Processes
Investigating Options
Creating User Interface
Record Keeping and
Sharing
pg. 5
1.2.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF WBS IN MANAGING A PROJECT
WBS defines the scope of the Project and breaks the work into components that can further be
scheduled and estimated and easily be monitored and controlled. It gives Project Requirements
an action form when cost estimates, project schedule and quality planning are carried out. It
gives Project scope statement (that defines the work of the project) a more detailed form by
breaking the deliverables into smaller activities of work. To answer that how WBS assists in
managing a project, once WBS comes into finalization, and cost estimates, scheduling the
resources and quality control procedures are developed in planning process, WBS helps in
measuring actual progress while comparing it to estimates and measurements assigned to WBS
segments. WBS creates a scope baseline which is a high-level project scope statement. Any
modifications to the agreed upon WBS creates scope change. This means that any addition,
deletion or modifications into existing activities developed in WBS create a project scope
change. WBS as a Project-Status Reporting tool helps in monitoring the actual progress. The
completion of low-level activities lets higher-level deliverables to quantitively complete
partially and it compares estimated with the actual work performed, and therefore assists for
coping with under performance.
1.2.3 HIGH- LEVEL PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT BASED ON WBS
Project Scope Description: A Project Management Plan touching all the potential PM
knowledge areas shall be prepared at planning stage to give Project a consolidated documented
form. The Ticketing system will be replaced to Request Tracker completely throughout the
organization. Currently various departments use different ticketing systems i.e. Request
Tracker and Remedy which establishes a gap in the way information is being processed.
Therefore, Remedy system will be completely replaced, patched and updated. User Interfaces
for new system will be generated to enable easy-to-use system. New Technology shall be
implemented throughout the organization. New system shall be managed through computer
and service department. Teaching Staff and Students shall be given training for using new
system.
Project Deliverables: Project Deliverables shall be defined in Schedule Management Plan,
status reports for completion of which shall be prepared and shared with the stakeholders being
influenced. Project records shall be formally documented and shared regarding milestone
achievement and change procedures followed.
pg. 6
Project Acceptance Criteria: Characteristics pertaining to expected Project deliverables shall
be documented in Scope Management Plan that will be based on organizational needs and
stakeholder requirements that will be met to accept the quality of project milestones being
achieved.
Project Exclusions: The Project shall closely run according to project scope described above.
Project Assumptions:
Since Project is cross-departmental, therefore chances of miss communication of information
can occur. Therefore, team members shall be bound to communicate pro-actively.
Project Constraints:
a) Project Team Members will report to their head who will report directly to Project
Manager regardless of Project Manager’s rank/hierarchy level within the Organization.
b) Communications will be carried out through E-Mails in which key E-Mails shall be
carbon copied to Project Manager and the affecting stakeholders.
c) Project status reports shall be generated weekly by every team for Project Manager and
for concerning stakeholders.
d) Weekly Meetings shall be established to discuss previous progress and work agenda for
current week under the presidency of Project Manager to maintain progress success.
e) Description to Roles and Responsibilities to carry out low level activities relating to
defined Project Deliverables shall be prepared in Scope Management Plan, approved
and followed during Project Execution.
f) Change Management Plan will be developed as a part of Project Management Plan that
will formally direct the change control procedures.
1.2.4 IMPORTANCE OF SCOPE STATEMENT
Project Scope statement documents the entire scope and it provides a common understanding
of the project scope among the project stakeholders. It assists in defining, developing and
establishing constraints for the project scope. It utilizes project charter and stakeholder
requirements and elaborates that information while describing deliverables. Project acceptance
criteria and project exclusions. It helps the team to carry out a more detailed planning, guides
about work during execution and serves as an origin for calculating whether the change
requests or additional work to be performed lies within the project boundaries or not. The level
of detail about work to be performed and work that is excluded present in project scope
pg. 7
statement can help project management team to control the overall project scope. It describes
project deliverables at summary level or in far more detail according to the requirements that
can further help defining project scope in better way. When WBS gets its existence and scope
baseline is approved, this baseline works as an approved version of scope statement, WBS and
WBS dictionary, therefore scope statement is very significant in this regard. Project Scope
Statement and Project Charter are at few times considered to contain similar level of detail
about scope however, project scope statement takes the scope components further to more
detailed description and progressive elaboration to help define project scope more effectively.
2. ANSWER TO QUESTION-2:
2.1.1 ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGER
Without an adequate Project Leadership, a Project can never achieve its objectives. Therefore,
a visible involvement of Project Manager is necessary from Project Initiation to Project closing.
His role in contributing insights in Organizational business analysis, Project Business worth
evaluation, realization of business benefits of Project and in leading project management
processes is quite versatile.
Depending upon his capabilities, he fulfills numerous roles which provide value to the Project
Management Profession. He influences Project team and Resource Managers at first, Sponsors,
Governing bodies, Steering Committee and PMOs secondly, and Organizational Stakeholders,
Suppliers, Customers and End Users thirdly. His role to balance competing constraints on the
Project with resources available is quite significant. He communicates between Project Team,
Project Sponsors and various stakeholders and presents vision of success of the project. The
most effective project manager is one who demonstrates superior relationship, communication
skills and positive attitude. He interacts with other project managers proactively and positively
influences various needs of the project. He always seeks ways to establish relationships that
can assist his team to achieve objectives. He contributes with knowledge and expertise,
participates in professional development and transfers what is learnt to benefit the organization.
The talent triangle according to (PMI 2017) focuses on three skill sets, namely, technical
project management, leadership and strategic and business management, which defines Project
Manager’s true role.
pg. 8
2.1.2 CONTRIBUTION OF PROJECT MANAGER IN SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
OUTCOME
Technically an effective Project Manager focuses on critical success factors of the Project,
Schedule, financial reports, issue logs and what not. He tailors his both agile and traditional
capacitates, tools and techniques and methodologies according to Project requirements. He
plans and prioritizes. He always has a high-level overview of the organization and he
implements those decisions and actions that align with Company’s Business. He works with
Project sponsors, various stakeholders and project team to deliver the project with a strategy
that maximizes business value of the Project. Through his leadership skills, he motivates and
directs the team. He utilizes his Leadership and Managerial traits to get things done. Among
his best skills is his ability to deal with politics. Project success is majorly tied with the Project
Manager’s ability to understand how the organization works. He utilizes his situational blend
of leadership styles, competencies and personal characteristics for the best of Project success.
2.1.3 ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT OUTCOME
Among other PM Knowledge areas, Project Integration Management provides project
management plan to achieve project objectives, directs using knowledge areas, helps in
managing project performance, provides ease in decision making regarding key project
changes, build standards for monitoring progress, completing project work, closing project
phases, contract and managing phase transition. Project Scope Management helps project
deliverables to be defined at start of the project and guides the change procedure to scope and
how to progressively manage it. It helps in monitoring completion of project scope against
project management plan and project requirements. Project Schedule Management provides
the framework of project delivery. It is used as a tool for performance reporting to align
stakeholder’s expectation with delivery methodology. Project Cost Management enables
management of cost of resources required to finish the project objectives. As each stakeholder
measures project cost according to his requirement, therefore, it considers their requirements.
It helps in predicting financial performance of the project. Project Quality Management is
incorporating quality context in planning phase, designing and during the execution when
organizational culture is kept at best command of quality. It establishes tolerances and control
limits to measure quality of project deliverables. Project Resource Management is about Project
pg. 9
Manager’s ability as a leader and manager to acquire, empower, motivate and manage the team
members and allocating and utilizing physical resources for successful completion of the
project. Project Communication Management enables effective communication which bridges
diverse stakeholders who internally or externally influence project outcome. Therefore, all
communication becomes concise and clear. Project Risk Management aims to identify, analyze
and ensure mitigation strategies for project risks that can harm the efficiency of project
management processes. Project Procurement Management is about enabling a robust
procurement process and making wise decisions regarding procurement or contractual
relationships. Project Stakeholder Management is identifying and engaging stakeholders for
the benefit of the project and identifying their satisfaction criteria and managing that. In short,
these knowledge areas if managed effectively together lead to Project’s successful outcome.
2.2.1 AUTHORITY OF PROJECT MANAGER
Project Manager’s authority is his personal and legal influence on his Project. Authority is
assigning certain individual areas by organization to an individual which it hopes can help
integrative functioning of the organization. This comprise a legitimate allocation of
responsibility for which individuals develop a framework of thinking and influence
organizational relationships with their behavioral patterns. In managerial sense, it is the right
of Project Manager to direct the actions of subordinates to attain organizational goals. A Project
Manager becomes a manager through delegation of authority rather than in words only. He
does not do himself but gets results through the hard work of others and focuses on managing
rather than carrying out technical tasks. Authority is not just being responsible to deliver the
project on time, budget and required specifications but to get the required resources, manage
the budget and carryout decision making that can affect critical areas of project. Moreover, he
does not relieve himself from responsibility. Project Manager assigns responsibility, delegates
authority and enables accountability. He reveals to functional managers that attaining project
objectives will let them achieve their own functional objectives. He determines the
organizational objectives, determines the action needed to pursue in attaining those objectives
and then allocates the resources in terms of organizational design to implement his strategies
and achieve objectives.
2.2.2 PROJECT MANAGER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Project’s key Stakeholders have significant influence on the project outcome. A difference
between project failure and project Success is governed mainly through Project Manager’s
pg. 10
ability to efficiently influence his team to identify and engage Project’s key stakeholders.
Project Manager’s ability to focus on continuous communication with key stakeholders and
keeping identification and management of stakeholder satisfaction as a part of key project
objectives is a key to project success. This process of identifying and managing is iterative and
needs routinely attention for reviewing and updating, especially when a Project transits
between two phases or stakeholder community changes. Project Manager along with his team
develops appropriate stakeholder management strategies to especially engage stakeholders in
execution and decision making.
2.2.3 PROS AND CONS OF USING STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Pros
Stakeholder Management Plan helps in formulating strategies and approaches to interact with
project stakeholders in the decision-making procedures and execution process as per their
interests, needs, and their influence of project. It can serve as bible of the Project when it comes
to seeking an actionable plan to intermingle with the Project stakeholders efficiently. This
process is required to never die as project expects changes in it periodically. It identifies the
best suitable management strategies required to engage stakeholders.
Cons
In more Agile Project environments, when future is very uncertain, projects involve unexpected
ways to adapt the circumstances that occur. The stakeholder management plan sometimes
needs to change considerably to even 50% when stakeholder engagement requires maximum
allocation of controlling time and dedication of project team. When heaps of collaborations
and information exchange occurs, it requires much more than guidelines available in
stakeholder management plan. In most of these projects, the final model of managing
stakeholder engagement looks a lot different than its original design due to resulting
requirements to address stakeholder’s special interests or fulfilling the information collected.
In these kind of scenarios, Stakeholder Management Plan does not play a consolidated role as
Stakeholder Management needs changed strategies and techniques for their engagement.
2.2.4 RELATIONSHIP OF STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN WITH
COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Stakeholder Management Plan tells about how to engage Project based stakeholders. It
comprises of description of how stakeholders will be identifed, qualified and engaged in a
pg. 11
supportive manner. Communication is a procedure of engaging. Communication Management
Plan intends to define how information will be gathered, shared, channels of sharing and tools
necessary. After this description, both are completely different entities. Additionally, both
Plans have same input, but communication management plan becomes input to stakeholder
management plan for planning stakeholder engagement which include plans and strategies for
stakeholder communications. Also, communication strategies and their implementation for
managing stakeholder, both are inputs to and are recipients of information present in processes
of stakeholder management. Communication Management Plan also defines techniques,
formats and methods required for stakeholder communication during managing stakeholder
engagement. In addition to this, communication plan may require updating as a result of
changed stakeholder requirements. Therefore, it is true that CMP is recipient of SMP as well.
Stakeholder register also gets influenced after planning communications.
While Planning Communication management, stakeholder communication requirements
identified in Stakeholder Engagement Plan and the agreed upon communication strategies
become an input to communication management plan. In a nutshell, to a big extent both are
quite linked to help in their development.
pg. 12
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pg. 13
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pg. 14